Drifting
by Brai
Summary: The colorful leaves tell that winter's coming. Green finds this particularly troublesome.  — Green, Red


It's been a while.

_Green retains his Japanese name, so he is a boy. This fic takes place a year after Red becomes Elite Four Champion._  
_...And I don't own the series. This is completely not-for-profit. _

* * *

A sardonic smile escaped his lips as he read the sign for the umpteenth time.

"Welcome to Viridian City: The City of Evergreen."

Crisp, colored leaves lay in heaps around the welcome sign. The city boasted of its fine trees that remained green even during the harshest winters, but many years of cross-pollination resulted in colorful, new offspring. The sign, however, remained unchanged.

Green started to walk away from the entrance sign when he took another quick glance behind his shoulder. The oak tree that he planted in front of the Gym was starting to turn red already. He planted it a year ago when he accepted the title of Gym Leader and it was quickly becoming colossal. His ubiquitous companion, eager to continue their walk, nuzzled his head meaningfully against Green's pant leg.

"Sorry, Eevee," said Green after a brief pause. "I was just... thinking of something."

Eevee turned his head to look up at his Trainer.

"I can't believe you wanted to wear that scarf Daisy knitted you," scoffed Green, snapping out of his lull. Snugly placed around Eevee's neck was a purple scarf. Green had trouble fitting it on his companion as Eevee's thick mane created an obstacle.

Eevee let out a soft growl, so Green decided to drop the topic.

Wordlessly, Green turned and continued walking north on Route 2. He wished that he could refasten all of the leaves back onto the branches; he didn't want winter to come so soon. Winter was hell down here, but Green couldn't imagine what it might be like atop Mount Silver. His rival was somewhere on the mountain—probably under-dressed, half-starved and without proper shelter—and winter wasn't going to wait until he ventured back down the damn peak.

Green purposefully kicked a pile of leaves, sending them flying in the sudden cold gust that blew from the direction of the mountain. The breeze made him shiver but caused his temper to flare.

"What a damn fool!" he cursed loudly, causing Eevee to jump in surprise. "He's going to die up there."

The young Pokemon gave his Trainer a sympathetic look, but Green wasn't prepared to let his wrath dissolve.

"It's just like him. He was never the gracious winner, yet he always won. He was always too diplomatic for his own good and let that dumbass Lance take his place as Champion. Now he's exiled himself and signed his own death warrant. Everyone knows that he's the best which is exactly why I need him down here, so I can kick his ass in front of all of them and show them who's truly the strongest."

Another strong gust of wind blew through the trees, sending leaves flying in a whirlwind around Green. His skin began to prickle with goose bumps.

"I give up," conceded Green as he fell down into a pile of leaves. "I can't chase him around anymore. I have responsibilities; I have an entire town that needs me; I can't leave now."

Eevee hurried forward and began to snuggle his head against Green's leg, but Green was unresponsive to Eevee's affection.

"It's like he wants to die," muttered Green.

A whine escaped Eevee and Green finally looked down at him. Eevee opened up his little mouth and stuck out his tongue; Green smiled faintly in response.

"I'm sorry, Eevee. It's just that—that I feel as though this is partly my fault. I'm not a killer, but I can't force him to come down the mountain," murmured Green. He sat in a small mountain of leaves, suddenly reticent.

A minute passed and Green didn't stir.

Five minutes.

Ten minutes.

It was silent except for the crinkling of leaves in the wind.

"I don't know what to do," he said finally, lying on his back amidst the leaves.

He closed his eyes for several moments, trying to block out everything around him. It was hard to do. In the silence, the gentle stirring of leaves created a din and seemed to suffocate all of his thoughts. His introspection was overpowered, so, with a sigh, Green opened his eyes.

"Wha—?" he started, blinked furiously as though he was trying to dissolve an illusion.

Hooked on the tree branch above Green was a tattered red hat. Green immediately recognized it, but refused to accept its existence. It was once a beacon, but the vivacious colors were now faded. The loose strings dangling from its brim were being blown about in the breeze, causing the entire hat to quiver on the branch as though it, too, was shivering. Green hurriedly stood up and tightly caught the rim of the hat between his fingers, afraid of letting it fly off.

It must have drifted down from the peak, noted Green to himself. He silently turned the hat over in his hands. There was no doubt; it was his.

"New plan, Eevee," said Green quietly. Visibly trembling, he put on the hat. Then, with a familiar, resolved tone in his voice:

"We're going to Mount Silver. I'm Green Oak and I'm going to follow that boy to the end of the earth if need be."

Eevee barked, unquestioning of his owner's intention.


End file.
